Clusters of COVID-19 cases arise among North Bay farmworkers, who remain vulnerable [Napa Valley Register]
Significant clusters of coronavirus cases have in the last few weeks been reported among the North Bay’s farmworker community – and public health officials say those populations remain at risk. Napa County has partially attributed its recent uptick in COVID-19 cases to clusters among residents of congregate living facilities, including the county’s three farmworker housing centers. … Neighboring Solano County has attributed part of its own recent uptick in coronavirus cases to “a large outbreak among farmworkers in the vineyards in Sonoma and Napa who are residing in Solano,” according to the California Department of Public Health.
Organizations team up to advocate for farmworkers after recent COVID-19 outbreaks [KSBY TV, San Luis Obispo/Santa Maria]
… With COVID-19 cases in Santa Maria being the highest among agricultural workers, organizations “C.A.U.S.E” and “Mixteco/Indigena Community Organization Project” (MICOP) came together to help farmworkers during this pandemic. … A joint statement by both organizations asked the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors to: discourage H2A housing that does not allow workers to socially distance; discourage H2a housing that has more than 20 workers concentrated on one site; direct public health to investigate all H2A worker housing to see if proper health and safety are being implemented.
Opinion: America can’t eat without farmworkers [Southern California News Group]
… Although our workers are still showing up to work day after day, a serious worker shortage looms. … All people who make the essential act of eating possible for us need a pathway to legalized status, and they need one now. Our government has begun eliminating some of the red tape required for visa-holding agricultural workers. This shows that reform isn’t just necessary but possible. But we must go further. … Farmworkers deserve to be treated with respect. They deserve to be a legal part of this country.
https://www.ocregister.com/2020/07/09/america-cant-eat-without-farmworkers/
Meatpackers slammed by Covid get serious about automation [Wall Street Journal]
… The Covid-19 pandemic has been a debacle for the $213 billion U.S. meat industry. … While weekly U.S. meat production has recovered, labor challenges continue to force some meat processors to focus on high-volume, less-processed cuts, meaning fewer boneless products in supermarket meat cases, said Will Sawyer, an economist with agricultural lender CoBank. … Tyson’s technicians are trying to teach machines to recognize and quickly adjust to differences in meat coloration and shape, part of what executives say makes meat processing harder for machines than, say, assembling cars from uniform, manufactured components.
Farm to parking lot to table: The pandemic is inspiring creative efforts to get locally sourced food [Washington Post]
… A passion for start-ups is still humming in Palo Alto, even as the heart of Silicon Valley goes into its fourth month of coronavirus restrictions. But its latest invention isn’t high-tech so much as an old-school alternative to the farmers market, with a pandemic twist. … People have been exploring different ways to get, share and sell food during the pandemic, including bartering, buying grocery staples from restaurants with wholesale contacts, and signing up for community supported agriculture, or CSA, boxes.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/07/09/farms-fruit-california/
Money to repair Central Valley canal in House bill. A large funding gap remains [Fresno Bee]
South San Joaquin Valley farmers have a reason to celebrate this week: Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives appropriated $200 million to fix the Friant-Kern Canal. The bill also includes funding to repair the Delta-Mendota Canal and for two Northern California reservoirs. … Under the WIIN Act — a major water infrastructure bill passed in 2016 — up to $164 million of any federal funds provided to the project must be reimbursed by Friant Water Authority users over a 40-year period. Approximately $40 million of the project funds could come from the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement, leaving a $250 million funding gap which must be filled by the state, local governments or user fees.
